British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak campaigns in Stoke on July 1. Getty Images
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak campaigns in Stoke on July 1. Getty Images
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak campaigns in Stoke on July 1. Getty Images
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak campaigns in Stoke on July 1. Getty Images

Sunak urges wavering Tories to back him and stop Labour majority


Soraya Ebrahimi
  • English
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Live updates: Follow the latest news on the UK general election

A small number of voters could swing the general election result away from a huge Labour majority, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will say on Tuesday, adding the outcome of the poll this week is not a “forgone conclusion”.

During the final 48 hours of the election campaign, Mr Sunak will urge wavering Conservative voters to stick with his party.

Latest opinion polls show the Labour Party is on course for a huge majority in Parliament after the election.

The Conservatives have called this an unaccountable “supermajority”, in a bid to dissuade voters who would usually back them from switching to rival political parties.

“The outcome of this election is not a foregone conclusion," Mr Sunak will say in a speech in Oxfordshire, exerpts of which were released early.

"If just 130,000 people switch their vote and lend us their support, we can deny Starmer that supermajority."

His reference to those switching away from Labour refers to an analysis by The Times newspaper of a YouGov poll, which highlights the party’s wide but shallow voter coalition.

“Just think about that: You have the power to use your vote to prevent an unchecked Labour government," Mr Sunak said.

“So, we must redouble our efforts in these final days and deliver the strongest Conservative voice in the next parliament.

“We are fighting for the future of our country and every door we knock on, every leaflet we deliver and every call we do will make a difference.”

Rishi Sunak through the years - in pictures

He is expected to claim that Conservative MPs will act as local champions for their constituents, who “can be your voice, represent your values and stand up for you”.

Mr Sunak will also say more Tory MPs would help to “prevent Labour from rewriting the rules so that they can stay in power for decades”, pointing to Labour’s proposals to extend voting to 16 and 17-year-olds as among the moves that could entrench the party’s voter base.

“A Labour government would be bad for our country, and an unchecked Labour government would be a disaster from which it would take decades to recover," Mr Sunak will say.

“Between now and Thursday, we have got to get the message out to people that we Conservatives will stand up for you and make sure your voice is heard, your values represented.”

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

The Buckingham Murders

Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu

Director: Hansal Mehta

Rating: 4 / 5

The five pillars of Islam
The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

Part three: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part two: how climate change drove the race for an alternative 

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

Yemen's Bahais and the charges they often face

The Baha'i faith was made known in Yemen in the 19th century, first introduced by an Iranian man named Ali Muhammad Al Shirazi, considered the Herald of the Baha'i faith in 1844.

The Baha'i faith has had a growing number of followers in recent years despite persecution in Yemen and Iran. 

Today, some 2,000 Baha'is reside in Yemen, according to Insaf. 

"The 24 defendants represented by the House of Justice, which has intelligence outfits from the uS and the UK working to carry out an espionage scheme in Yemen under the guise of religion.. aimed to impant and found the Bahai sect on Yemeni soil by bringing foreign Bahais from abroad and homing them in Yemen," the charge sheet said. 

Baha'Ullah, the founder of the Bahai faith, was exiled by the Ottoman Empire in 1868 from Iran to what is now Israel. Now, the Bahai faith's highest governing body, known as the Universal House of Justice, is based in the Israeli city of Haifa, which the Bahais turn towards during prayer. 

The Houthis cite this as collective "evidence" of Bahai "links" to Israel - which the Houthis consider their enemy. 

 

AT%20A%20GLANCE
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The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

 

 

COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

Who has been sanctioned?

Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.

Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.

Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.

Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.

Cinco in numbers

Dh3.7 million

The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown

46

The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.

1,000

The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]

50

How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday

3,000

The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

1.1 million

The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.

Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut

Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”

UAE v Zimbabwe A, 50 over series

Fixtures
Thursday, Nov 9 - 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 11 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai
Monday, Nov 13 – 2pm, Dubai International Stadium
Thursday, Nov 16 – 2pm, ICC Academy, Dubai
Saturday, Nov 18 – 9.30am, ICC Academy, Dubai

The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

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Updated: July 02, 2024, 3:40 PM`